Latching means for house car doors



2 Sheets-Sheet l K. J. ToBlN ET AL LATCHING MEANS FOR HOUSE CAR DOORS Filed May 20, 1929 Dec. 1, 1931.

H1 l lllllll Il lll D lello DeC- 1, 1931- K. J. ToBlN ET AL. 1,834,508

LATCHING MEANS FOR HOUSE CAR DOORS y -f/\/ VEN Toes- KENNETH J 72mm/ lA//LFEED F?. BEQUCHHMP Tni Patented Dec., l, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KENNETH J. TOBIN .AND WILFRED A IBI JAUGHAIMIl OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN'ORS TO CAMEL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS LATCHING MEANS FOR HOUSE CAR DOORS Application led May 20,

in which similar reference numerals refer to similar features in the different views:

Figure 1 is a rear end elevational view of a house car having a pair of doors, containing auxiliary latching mechanism involving this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged and broken fragmentary elevational view of one of the auxiliary latching rods and associated parts of the car.

Figure 3 is an enlarged and broken sectional view taken upon the line III-lll of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating the mechanism in unlocked position.

Figure 5 is an enlarged top plan view above one of the auxiliary latching bars and associated parts.

As shown on the drawings:

This invention is illustrated in connection with a pair of rear end hinged car doors 1 and 2 which are simultaneously latched., in closed position by a swingable bar 3 pivoted at 4 to swing in a vertical plane for engaging under keepers 5 upon the upper and lower parts of the car. It will be noted that each door is hinged to the lateral margin of the car by means of suitable hinges 6. The front margins of the door overlap so that the same can be simultaneously latched by the bar 3.

It is frequently desirable to employ auxiliarv latching means for the doors and such auxiliarly latching means should latch the door at the top as well as at the bottom and the same should be so designed that one man may unlatch the doors and swing them open.

1929. Serial No. 364,426.

One form of such auxiliary latching means llilas been illustrated in connection with each oor.

Each auxiliary latching means is controlled by a vertical rod 7 which is oset at a suitable point as indicated at 7a to provide a hand hold and to bring the upper portion of the rod in a plane located farther from the car than the lower portions. The upper portion of each rod 7 passes through a suitable keeper 8 secured to the top plate 9 of the door. Each keeper 8 is formed with a suitable abutment 8a over which a latch in the form of a hook 10 is adapted to engage. The latch hook 10 is provided with a pair of laterally extending trunnions 11 that engage in circular bearing recesses in bearing 12a, forming part of casting 12 secured to the end plate of the car just above the door. When the rod 7 is projected upwardly, it will swing the latch hook 10 upwardly and unlatch the door.

The lower end of each rod 7 supports a latch bolt 13 which slides through a suitable bolt guide 14 upon the door and engages in a latching socket 15 secured upon sill of the car. The bolt guide 14 is provided with an upper curved surface 14a and the latch bolt 13 is provided with a projection 13ul adapted to contact the top of the keeper when the latch bolt is in its operative position as shown in Figure 5.

A cam 16 is pivoted to the lower end of each rod 7 upon the same pivot pin "18 that supports the latch bolt 13. This cam has a convex end 16a which is adapted to engage the upper end of the bolt guide 14 when the cam is manually swung downwardly into substantially vertical position and the rod 7 has been moved upwardly to unlatch the hook 10 and disengage the latch bolt 13 from the socket 15 as shown in Figure 3. In this position the cam 16 will hold the rod 7 in its uppermost position and the latch member 10 and 13 associated therewith. One man can hence operate the doors for all he has to do is to shift the rod 7 of each door upwardly and engage the cam 16 with the top of the bolt guide 14 for maintaining the auxiliary latches v in their inoperative position. He may then swing the main latch bar 3 and swing the doors open, since while he is doing this, the cams 16 maintain the auxiliary latches in their inoperative position.

We are aware that many changes may be 5 made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a Wide range Without departing from the principles of this invention and We, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

IVe claim as our invention:

1. In a house car, a hinged door, a bolt guide upon the lower' margin of the door, alatch bolt slida-ble in said bolt guide, an abutment upon the upper part of said door a latch hook pivoted to the car above said (door nfor 'engaging said abutment, a vertical rod secured to said latch bolt. means for guiding said rod in the path of said latch hook` and a cam member pivoted to said rod and adapted for engaging the top of said keeper for holding said rod in an elevated position.

2. In a house car, a hinged door, a bolt guide upon the lower margin of the door, a

latch bolt slidable in said bolt guide, an abutment upon the upper part of said door, a latch hook pivoted to said car for engaging said abutment` a rod secured to said latch bolt, means for guiding said rod in the path of said hook and cooperating means on said door and rod for holding said rod in elevated position.

3. In combination, a door, latching mea-ns for the top of the door, la-tching means for the bottom of the door. a vertically movable bar carried b v said door and adapted to move said latching means to inoperative position, a. member pivotally mounted on said bar and an abutment on the door, said member being gravity actuated to a position upon said abutment When said bar is moved to release said latches to retain said latchi'ng means in inoperative position.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto subscribed our names at Chicago, county of Cook, Illinois.

KENNETH J. TOBIN. WILFRED A. BEAUCHAMP. 

